Saving the world, one plant at a time

Category: Propagation

Planting depth is related to seed size, the general rule of thumb is to plant it so the soil on top is about equal to the size of the seed.

Some seeds are placed on top of soil instead of being buried, they need light to germinate.

Planting time is usually spring or fall. Some seeds need a cold spell before germinating, cold stratification. This is typical of perennial plants that go dormant over the winter. After 6-8 weeks of cold ( in the ground or in your refrigerator ) plant them. Seeds that require a cold stratification usually won’t germinate until it is warm and moist after the cold spell.

Seeds from annuals that die off in the cold are typically planted once the ground warms up. If you are trying to get a jump start on spring a warm window, radiator or electric skillet can be used to warm the bottom of the pots.

Hard, thick seeds such as those in the legume family may need to be scratched or nicked (scarification) before germinating. Large nurseries use chemicals, hydrogen peroxide or sulfuric acid, to scar the seeds. The reason for nicking the hard shell is to let in some moisture to kick start germination

Seeds that are inside a fruit, tomatoes, citrus fruits…., need to be removed from the fruit and dried before planting. I remove the fruit and spread the seeds on a paper towel for a couple of days to dry them.

Most seeds can be stored for years if kept dry and at temperatures ~40’F-60’F

Fungus is a common problem when starting seeds in pots or indoors. Spraying with water usually kills off the fungus. More serious cases can be treated with copper ( available at most garden supply stores )

I find starting slow growing perennials, like carnivorous plants, work best in small terrariums where they’ll be humid and safe from damage. I use peat moss as the medium. Many take ~4 years to reach 3″ across.

Test tube plants are growing in popularity. I haven’t had any success starting them myself, but I frequently purchase plants started in test tubes. You can find agar and test tubes online. The trick is to sterilize the tubes, mix and seeds with out killing the seeds.

I’ve also seen seeds started in test tubes half filled with water. Mine molded, I’ll try again when it’s too cold to go outside and putter in the garden.

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

I first ran across test tube plants on eBay, which is a great source for them. Many nurseries who only sell in bulk to businesses and small shops and universities interested in conservation are using them to clone plants from tissue culture. Another common use is to start difficult seeds.

The plants are grown in agar ( a clear gelatin like substance ) with a bit of sugar and sometimes plant hormones. The supplies are easily found online.

I tried a couple of difficult seeds with out much success. Getting the seeds sterile without killing them is a bit of an art form. I’ll try some easier seeds next time.

This is a great way to buy expensive plants.

It’s a bit tricky deflasking them. All of the agar must be removed from the very tiny, fragile plants or it will mold and rot the seedling. I use toothpicks and a dish of water with about 15% bleach added. Soaking the seedlings helps.

Plants started this way do not have the coating necessary to retain water. They must first be placed in terrariums, under lights and steady room temperature. Slowly acclimate them to sunlight, temperature differences, and life outside the terrarium.

I’d start with a cheap flask of plants, it may take a few tries to get the hang of transferring them to a regular garden environment.

I plan to try starting more seeds in flasks, I’ll post the process and results.

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Some plants won’t grow from cuttings; ferns, bromeliads… Those ones are easiest to propagate by division. I find dividing plants to be much easier than propagating from cuttings.

Wait until you have a good size clump of the plant. You’ll need to get leaves and roots on each division. Some plants can be gently separated by running them under water to remove all the soil then gently pulling apart. Others you’ll need to cut apart with a sharp razor.

I start most of new plants in sphagnum moss. It seems to keep the moisture more consistent and I have less problems with fungus and molds.

I like clear containers so I can keep an eye on the roots and moisture.

Divided plants don’t need any special care, I bump them up into larger pots or plant outside as soon as I see new roots or leaves.

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

ost plants are easy to clone from a cutting. Anything woody, shrubby, branched, or a vine will work.

Some plants, like Angel’s Trumpet, will only grow from hard branches, others only from the soft new green ones. Most plants will grow from both.

The new roots will grow from leaf nodes that are in water or soil. Remove at least 3 leaves, and put 3 nodes below the water or soil level. If you plant in soil be sure to keep the bottom stem at least a half inch off the bottom of the pot or it will rot. I find sphagnum is the best medium for getting cuttings started.

I like to use clear plastic cups, that way I can see when the roots appear and if they are getting enough, too much or too little water.

Some plants need a bit of rooting hormone to get started, almost all won’t need it. I find the powered rooting hormone easiest to use. Wet the stem and roll it in some of the powder before planting.

Remove most all of the remaining leaves. The plant has no roots so it can’t get water to the leaves. The less it starts with the better your chances. How many depends on the size of the leaves. I try to leave about 1-2 square inches of leaf surface. If need be cut a leaf in half.

Because there is not water going up to the plant you’ll need to keep the humidity very high. Use a terrarium, plastic cup, or a clear plastic bag to keep the moisture in.

When new leaves appear, slowly let the plant adjust to life outside the humidity closure. Once it’s been adapted ( 2-6 weeks ) Replant it in soil, outside if it’s to be an outdoor plant, in a pot if it’ll be indoors.

…. And does it matter?
Both plants grow in mountain forests and grow well as windowsill intermediate plants.

I have found my Nepenthes are happiest in open orchid baskets filled with sphagnum moss, which is still in dish containing about 1″ of water. Use distilled water, no fertilizer. A bright window that doesn’t receive direct afternoon sun is best.

Cuttings

Ready to be aclimated

Ready to grow outside late spring

This has been the easiest of my Nepenthes to grow from cuttings.
– cut a 6″-8″ stem
– remove bottom leaves leaving only one at the top
– plant in sphagnum and keep in a closed terrarium
– slightly shade it
When new leaves appear
– slowly increase light
– slowly adapt it to grow outside terrarium

Like this:

8/13/14
I decided it was time to try something more challenging. So I ordered a couple of flasks of Ghost Orchids ( Dendrophylax lindeii ) on eBay.

The flasks arrived in a few days, everything looks wonderful.

I did have to break the flasks to remove the plants, not a big deal, wrap the flask in a towel and use a hammer.

After removing the orchids, I dropped them into a container of water with fertilizer and rooting hormone while I gently untangled them and removed the agar.

So far so good.

They are currently dispersed across 4 terrariums, worm castings on the bottom, sphagnum moss, then mulch, orchids are resting on the mulch.

For now I’ll keep the light levels low. The largest trick is to keep the humidity close to 100% and keep mold and fungus from killing the seedlings.

I use a light dose of fertilizer with rooting hormone to water my orchids, these included.

8/18/14
I’ve lost two of the ghost orchids to fungus, I’ve dispersed a few that didn’t look good into the carnivorous terrariums.

About a half dozen have grown their baby leaves, these two leaves are temporary and will fall off once the plants get settled.

Sept 12, 14
I admit to slaughtering most of the ghost orchids, of the half dozen to a dozen remaining most are showing new growth. They are in a large southwest facing window, in a not tightly sealed terrarium and I’m spraying them with water in the morning and evening.

Oct 6, 2014
These are tough, every time they start doing well, they start doing poorly a week later. I moved them from the southwest window to a spot under a bright LED which doesn’t get as hot in the afternoon. We’ll see how that goes?

Feb 2015
I killed all but one of the Ghost Orchids. The surviving one is floating on a piece of bark in a fish tank under an extremely bright light. So far it seems to be surviving.

Help

New Gardens

The bamboo, lots of yaupon and a couple not so healthy pines have been removed. A slew of drought tolerant, bee/butterfly/hummingbird attractors have been planted.

I’m learning more about landscaping. As I wander with the hound on our daily walks I snap photos of cool gardens. You’ll see more of those here and more ways to create beautiful environmentally friendly landscapes using native and or cheap, low footprint plants

Lost? Try Search, or scroll through the list of Sections, Recent, and Popular posts

HerselfsHouseplants.com and HerselfsHoustonGarden.com have been combined and relocated to here.